Dongzi nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, wherever you go, I'll go with you." "No need, you clean the kitchen," Zhou Huan said, pushing the door open and stepping out.

Zhou Huan left Fushou Hall and headed alone toward the derelict building on the pedestrian street. He walked to the corner where the little beggars usually sat, glanced around, and upon not seeing what he was looking for, proceeded directly toward the beggars' usual dwelling.

Zhou Huan went upstairs and found the group of beggar brothers sitting there, each holding a steamed bun. They were devouring them ravenously, their vacant eyes suggesting the buns possessed an intensely alluring flavor capable of rendering them utterly lost to their surroundings.

"What are you eating? Drop it, quickly!" Zhou Huan seemed to have discovered something. He rushed forward in a few steps to Jiu Caihua, raised his hand, and slapped the bun right out of her grasp, sending it tumbling to the floor.

Jiu Caihua slowly raised her head, staring blankly at Zhou Huan, revealing her scorched yellow teeth. Crimson blood oozed from the gaps between them, and a smell of putrid flesh drifted from her mouth as she spoke stiffly, "What are you doing? I haven't finished eating yet!"

Zhou Huan's expression turned instantly tense. He shouted, "Stop eating, all of you!" He raised his hand and slapped each one, knocking the buns from their grips.

Looking at them again, their expressions were identical—all staring blankly at Zhou Huan. Simultaneously, they uttered the same words: "What are you doing? I haven't finished eating yet!"

Zhou Huan clenched his right fist, the second knuckle of his middle finger protruding outward, and drove it toward the Yintang point on each of their foreheads. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The beggars' heads snapped back, and each immediately clutched their throats, retching violently.

"What is this smell? It stinks!" Ergouzi sputtered while vomiting.

Zhou Huan reformed his right hand into an open palm, circled behind them, and struck the Dazhui acupoint on the back of their necks with the heel of his palm. At that instant, each beggar spat out small lumps of meat. These lumps emitted a particularly offensive odor; upon closer inspection, they were clumps of rotten flesh—likely human flesh!

"Brother Huan, we feel terrible!" the beggars, including Da Niu, pleaded with Zhou Huan, their eyes begging for mercy.

Zhou Huan squatted down. "Who gave you the buns? Can you remember?"

They all shook their heads. San Lüzi spoke up, "After you left, we fell asleep. When we woke up, we found you here!"

Zhou Huan nodded silently. It felt as if he knew who was responsible, yet many doubts lingered in his mind, causing him to shake his head again. Then, Zhou Huan casually pulled a stack of talismans from his pocket. He bit his right index finger, and with a single breath, inscribed four clear Exorcism Talismans with his blood. He then placed these talismans in the four corners where the men rested.

"You all remember this," Zhou Huan said earnestly, "No matter what happens, never remove these talismans. This is vital!" Then, he rushed downstairs in a hurry.

Ergouzi immediately stood up and asked Zhou Huan, "Brother Huan, where are you going? We don't quite understand why you put up those talismans."

"You don't need to know. Remember, if the talismans are gone, your lives are gone!"

Zhou Huan's single statement stunned the beggars into frozen silence. Their wide eyes stared at him in terror, their stiff lips trembling uncontrollably.

Zhou Huan jogged down the stairs, hurrying back towards Fushou Hall. As he ran, he constantly felt someone following him, drawing closer. He suddenly whipped his head around; a chilly, eerie gust of wind swept across the ground, kicking up dust, and a few fallen leaves danced in the breeze.

Zhou Huan’s eyes widened as he scanned his surroundings, but he detected nothing. He then turned back and continued walking. At this point, Zhou Huan could faintly hear someone behind him weeping, "Wuwuwu, I'm hungry, no one gives me anything to eat! I want a bun!"

"Who's there?" Zhou Huan spun around again, still finding no one. He stopped, composed, hands clasped behind his back, and stated loudly, "I don't care if you're human or ghost, stop causing trouble behind me. I have urgent business, or I would certainly see what kind of entity you are!"

Strangely enough, Zhou Huan's words seemed to carry significant weight. As soon as he finished speaking, the wind died down, and the eerie sensation vanished instantly. Zhou Huan smiled faintly, clasped his hands together in a salute, and said, "Thank you, brother. Zhou Huan is leaving!"

Meanwhile, back at Fushou Hall, Dongzi had finished cleaning the kitchen after Zhou Huan left. Being alone was dull; Fushou Hall was filled only with stray, lodging spirits or objects so silent they were practically dead, lacking any vitality. So, Dongzi locked the door and wandered out by himself. As he walked, he decided to go to the supermarket to find Yu Qiu, as he wanted to spend more time with her and share what was on his mind.

Dongzi ambled to the supermarket entrance. He didn't go in right away but stood outside watching. He recalled seeing Yu Qiu looking out the window the last time he left. Suddenly, an idea struck him: if you want to approach a girl actively, you should bring her flowers.

With this thought, Dongzi quickly left the supermarket, hailed a taxi by the roadside, went to a flower shop, bought a bouquet of roses, and returned to the supermarket entrance. Just as he stepped out of the cab, he spotted Zhou Huan's retreating figure in the distance.

"Huh? Brother Huan was here? Why did he come here?" Dongzi mused aloud. He considered catching up to ask Zhou Huan what was going on, but then quickly decided to handle his own business first. He walked straight into the supermarket, holding the flowers. His steps were light, and his expression carried a subtle, foolish smile—giving anyone who saw him one distinct impression: joy in his heart!

The sales staff watched him as he passed, since they were all female. Women, naturally, are inclined to pay attention to matters of the heart, likely speculating about whom Dongzi intended to give the flowers to.

Dongzi entered the shopping area, searching everywhere for Yu Qiu. He circled the aisles several times but couldn't find her. This began to panic him, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He was flustered.

"Sir, can I help you with something?" a sales clerk asked Dongzi in a soft voice.

Dongzi instantly suppressed his panic; after all, the person speaking to him was a young woman. He managed a smile and replied in a low tone, "Oh, I'm looking for someone."

"Is it a family member?" The clerk glanced at the flowers in Dongzi's hand, then suddenly broke into a sweet smile. "Oh, I see! You must be looking for your sweetheart, sir. I can tell just by the flowers you're holding!"

Dongzi looked at the charming young lady before him, and his anxiety completely vanished. "Miss, you're very perceptive. I'm looking for a person. I saw her here a few days ago; I remember she works here."

"Oh? One of our staff members? What is her name?" This clerk was quite curious. She wondered which staff member had brought a date here before. Thinking hard, she couldn't recall anyone, except that she herself was new. Could it be...? Realizing this, the clerk's face instantly flushed red. She pointed her delicate finger first at the flowers in Dongzi's hand, then at herself: "Are these flowers... for me?"

When Dongzi heard the clerk say that, his expression became one of utter helplessness, his mind churning. This is truly a daydreaming romantic! After some thought, he decided to tell the truth: "I'm here to find Yu Qiu. Isn't she one of your staff members too?"

As soon as Dongzi finished speaking, the clerk’s expression changed abruptly—a face transforming from sunshine to storm clouds. However, it wasn't anger on her face, but rather immense shock and panic.

The clerk stammered, her gaze somewhat vacant. "You're looking for Yu Qiu? Yu Qiu..." Her words trailed off. Sweat began to break out on her forehead, and her fair complexion turned utterly pale. She kept swallowing repeatedly, then suddenly shrieked, "Someone is looking for Yu Qiu! Someone else is looking for Yu Qiu!" This clerk was utterly terrified. She bolted toward the cashier station, where several other staff members gathered.

"What's wrong, Xiao Mo?"

"That person... that person is looking for Yu Qiu!" the clerk named Xiao Mo stammered, slowly pointing toward Dongzi.

Dongzi was completely bewildered by the scream, not understanding why Xiao Mo was shrieking. He then asked loudly again, "Is Yu Qiu here? Why did you run off? What on earth is going on?"

Just then, a middle-aged woman cautiously approached from behind Dongzi. She wore a professional suit and held a clipboard, appearing to be a manager.

"Sir, you are looking for... Yu Qiu?" The woman spoke with a tremor, but at least she wasn't as hysterical as Xiao Mo, as she hadn't run away; instead, she approached Dongzi to inquire.

When someone addressed him, Dongzi felt a bit surprised but replied courteously, "Yes, I'm looking for Yu Qiu. What is wrong with you all? Why does everyone panic like this the moment that name is mentioned?"

"The Yu Qiu you're looking for, does she always have a faint, fresh scent of cucumber about her?"

Dongzi nodded repeatedly and quickly asked, "Do you know where she is?"

"My heavens, she died three months ago! And you're still looking for her?" Saying this, the clerk turned and hurried away into the crowd.

This answer deeply confused Dongzi. He had clearly seen the person just a few days ago; how could they claim she had been dead for three months? This joke was ridiculously poorly constructed, especially since Zhou Huan had also seen her. Dongzi paused, then strode purposefully to the cashier counter, rose in hand. He found the clerk named Xiao Mo. "Miss, I know you were probably told to deal with me, but I genuinely wish to be acquainted with her. Please do me a favor and give this flower to her."

Xiao Mo looked at the red rose in Dongzi's hand, extending a hand to take it, but then retracted it. Her trembling finger pointed toward the cash register: "Just put it there!"